The present invention relates to a seat cushion which is particularly adapted to an aircraft chair and which in the of an emergency can be worn by a passenger as a life vest.
Federal regulations mandate that aircraft flying over water provided with a life preserver for each passenger. Life preservers, for example floats or sleeveless jackets, of buoyant material or gas filled bladders, provide additional to a passenger who finds himself in water and prolongs the chance of survival of the passenger from drowning. Although the regulations are well intended for the safety of the passengers, the regulations also burden airlines by increasing weight of the aircraft and reducing the available space in the cabin. Typically, current life jackets are stored every passenger seat being easily accessible by the passenger in the event of an emergency.
A number of attempts have been made in combining a seat cushion and life preserver for use on boats and in aircraft since the elastic material of the cushion, be it foam or air, can serve the dual function of the buoyant material of the life preserver. Examples of a seat cushion which also function as a life preserver in the shape of a life belt which wraps around the torso of a person include U.S. Pat. No. 2,310,840 granted to Crabtree, U.S. Pat. No. 2,132,544 granted to Shaw, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,225,369 granted to Barwick.
Examples of combination seat cushion and life preserver straps for attachment to the posterior of a person include U.S. Pat. No. 2,829,386 granted to Peer and U.S. Pat. No. 2,851,706 granted to Patterson.
Another example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,094,723 granted to Manhart, discloses a buoyant cushion device which can be filled with air. The device is generally rectangular in shape having a U-shaped neck cutout configured so that the device can be placed and retained with straps on a person's shoulders.
A further example, more suitable for use in an aircraft, is U.S. Pat. No. 4,619,623 granted to Elverskog, which discloses a life-jacket assembly having a elongate buoyant body with an opening for a passenger's head and straps for retaining the buoyant body to a passenger in the event of an emergency. The life-jacket is generally flat and is to be entirely contained in an upward extending open compartment in the backrest of a chair. Problems with this device are its unorthodox appearance from conventional life preservers and the manner in which it is used. A passenger must properly insert his head in the opening and arms through straps that must be positioned behind the back. If in an emergency situation the device is used backwards or upside down it is ineffective and any additional time used correcting the position the device can mean the difference between life or death.
Thus, there is need for a seat cushion which truly resembles a life vest enabling immediate use by a passenger in the event of an emergency.